Forfar Athletic’s 3-1 win over Ayr United was the result that recent performances have been promising.
Boss Gary Bollan has been on the record as saying that points were more important than those performances but he was delighted to get both as his side leapfrogged Cowdenbeath and stayed ahead of Angus rivals Brechin.
“We took the lead early again and looking back to last week, we were hoping we could hold on to it for a bit longer,” Bollan said.
“We did hold on but not for much longer. But to be fair, some of the lads put their bodies on the line. Some were carrying knocks and you could see that with Bryan Hodge coming off early doors. But we were fortunate in that he opted to try and play and he did that for the first half.
“That is what we are getting, some of the boys putting their bodies on the line. Yano (Iain Campbell) is the same going on the bench just to help out.
“But throughout the game, I thought it was a decent performance again. We were creating chances and today managed to get three goals that won us the game.
“They were good goals. I thought the front two caused them a lot of problems today and Gavin Swankie also. I thought Gavin was excellent in the middle of the park. A different role for him, with the personnel we had available but we also have to give credit to the back four.”
The Loons struck with an early goal for the second home game in succession and again, it was Andy Ryan on target with his sixth goal of the season.
Danny Denholm got away down the left and whipped in a cross. Ryan pounced on it 10 yards out and controlled well before slamming the ball high into the net from a tight angle.
But like last week too, Forfar didn’t hang on to their lead for long. Ryan Stevenson levelled for the visitors in the 13th minute after pushing into the Forfar box and firing a neat finish under the keeper.
Ayr were dealt a double injury blow in the 20th minute when Paddy Boyle and Ross McCorrie both had to leave the field bleeding heavily from the head after a clash with each other as they cleared their lines.
Forfar regained their lead in the 70th minute and it was that man Ryan again, hammering home from 16 yards after the ball fell kindly to him from a blocked shot by trialist Scott Smith, the former Dundee United midfielder who had a spell on loan at Station Park last season.
Forfar put some daylight between themselves and Ayr four minutes later when Steven Craig beautifully lobbed Greg Fleming from an angle on the left.
In an afternoon of injury horrors, Loons defender Euan Spark was taken to Ninewells Hospital for an x-ray on a shoulder injury.